Self-Redeeming Devotion to the Sea in Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor’s The Dragonfly Sea : A Reading in Blue Cultural Studies

Abstract

Ecocriticism, in recent years, has migrated to locations other than the terrestrial grounds. It has taken into account the ecology of the ocean, giving rise to Blue Cultural Studies and Blue Humanities. In this interdisciplinary approach, literary and cultural texts that depict ocean and waters have been analyzed to comment upon the cultural practices that respect and celebrate water bodies. At the core this approach develops an interdisciplinary analytical model to examine the relationship between human beings and oceans and highlights the cultural, spiritual, and emotional connections that people have with water. As a mode of enquiry, it overlaps with History, Literature and Cultural Studies and tries to emphasize the environmental dimensions of human-water relationship. A literary work that is rooted in oceanic setting often helps the readers locate many features such as the temperature, marine biology, marine ecosystem, and marine pollution.
This paper analyzes Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor’s novel The Dragonfly Sea to show how the female protagonist aligns herself to ecofeminist vision by developing a self-healing relationship with the sea. It illustrates the point that beneath the structure of coming-of-age novel—the female protagonist Ayaana tries to find her eco-centric identity in the vast background of an ocean. Furthermore, the paper comments on her oceanic sense of spirituality and her devotion to the sea. The paper mobilizes a theoretical framework based on Ecofeminism and Blue Cultural Studies.